In a significant boost for technical and vocational education in Nigeria, the Federal Government has announced a monthly stipend of ₦45,000 for students enrolled in technical colleges nationwide.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by Professor Idris Bugaje, Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), during a press briefing in Abuja. According to Bugaje, the new policy is designed to accelerate the revitalization of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) across the country.
“This initiative will make technical colleges more attractive to young Nigerians,” he said. “With financial support, skill acquisition, and guaranteed pathways to employment both locally and internationally we are repositioning the entire sector.”
Full Package Beyond Monthly Stipends
In addition to the monthly grants, the government will cover tuition fees, sponsor skill certification programs, and fund the engagement of master level industry professionals to guide students during industrial attachments.
“This isn’t just about stipends,” Bugaje explained. “We’re building a full ecosystem from classrooms to workshops to real industry environments where students are trained and certified to global standards.”
A Rebirth of Technical Education
Professor Bugaje described the development as a turning point for TVET in Nigeria, likening it to a “resurrection” of a system that had been neglected since the 1980s.
He pointed out the alarming disparity between the number of technical colleges currently just 129 nationwide compared to over 15,000 senior secondary schools, emphasizing the urgent need to bridge this gap.
₦120 Billion Presidential Grant to Power TVET
The initiative will be financed by a ₦120 billion grant approved by President Bola Tinubu. The funds will be disbursed through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund), but Bugaje clarified that the ₦45,000 monthly payment is a grant, not a loan.
“Students will not be required to pay back this money,” he said. “It is a direct investment in the nation’s future workforce.”
Legislative Backing in Progress
To ensure sustainability, the Ministry of Education is preparing a bill that will establish a dedicated National Skills Fund under a new Nigerian Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF). The bill is expected to be presented to the National Assembly in the coming weeks.
Skills in Focus
The revitalized TVET scheme places emphasis on practical, in-demand skills including carpentry, information and communication technology (ICT), plumbing, agriculture, renewable energy, CNG vehicle conversion, and various forms of construction and trade work.
Technical colleges, vocational enterprise institutes, and skill acquisition centers will serve as primary delivery platforms for this skills-first education model.
